A Russian chain of command crisis will hurt troop morale and affect tactical offensive capabilities, think tank the Institute for the Study of War said.
Insubordination displayed by Russia’s commanders is spreading among troops, signaling a chain of command problem for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s forces which will degrade their campaign in Ukraine, the Institute for the Study of War has said.
Since Putin invaded Ukraine, many analysts have said Moscow’s forces have struggled with ineffective command structures, a lack of trust or transparency through the ranks and low troop morale.
The think tank noted on Sunday how Russian military bloggers had reacted strongly to the dismissal of 58th Combined Arms Army Commander Colonel General Ivan Popov.
Audio released last week showed Popov complaining directly to Putin about frontline conditions, bypassing Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov and Russian Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu. But there are other reported dismissals of Russian top brass for speaking up for their troops.
